EFCC MAY GO AFTER AYIRI OVER PETITION ALLEGING N800M CONTRACT FRAUD

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Anti-corruption and non-governmental Organization – Kill Corruption And Develop Delta Initiative (KCDI), will storm the headquarters of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) next week to lodge a strong-worded petition against the newly installed Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayiri Emami and his company, EASYQUEST NIGERIA LTD, over alleged advance fee fraud of N800 million received from Delta State Government in 2013.
 
The group’s Director of Publicity, Donald Ebikabor in a statement said the petition against Ayiri and EasyQuest Nig Ltd, will kick-start the investigation process to ensure that the corporate citizen and its human elements directing its affairs are made to refund the money and go to jail, as the law demands.
 
“Chief Ayiri is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), working with President Muhammadu Buhari to eliminate corruption from Nigeria. It is therefore necessary for the EFCC to wade into the alleged N800 million advance fee fraud disclosed by Delta State Government.
 
“It is the law that Ayiri must come to equity with clean hands or face the consequences of his nunerous shady deals and financial conspiracy in the corporate world. He parades himself as the youngest Itsekiri billionaire; it’s time to beam the search light on him. We shall get to the very root of his astonishing wealth and financial prosperity.
 
“Information available at our disposal is to the effect that Chief Ayiri’s company, EasyQuest Nig Ltd vide a legal document initiated on February 11, 2013, DTSG (STB/10/T/60 was awarded a contract for the construction of Shorelines Protection Measures (Phase 1) at ARUOTON, an Itsekiri Community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
 
“Available records shows that the total contract sum was pegged at N1,694,211,750 (One Billion, six Hundred And Ninety Four Million, Two Hundred And Eleven Thousand, Seven Hundred And Fifty Naira); with contractual obligations furnished and sealed, only for Chief Ayiri and his company – EasyQuest Nig Ltd to pocket the advance payment of N800 million without a corresponding work done as specified in the contract documents.
 
“We are not going to allow this monumental fraud to be swept under the carpet even though Delta State Government said it will commence legal actions to recover the money. The company will have to refund the money with interest at a prevailing bank rate while criminal prosecution will follow to punish the brains behind the company in line with the legal principle – piercing the corporate veil.
 
“We are committed to ensuring that the Itsekiri Communities meant to benefit from this project get justice by recovering the money with interest and then take a step further to prevail on Delta State Government to re-award the contract,” the statement added.
 
Political analysts are of the candid opinion that the office of the Ologbotsere of Warri, is indeed, a prestigious one and higly respected traditional office in Iwereland; which is why the title should not be dragged into the mocky waters of politics. They averred that Ayiri ought to know that his present status does not permit him to be partisan.
 
It is hoped that the custodians of Itsekiri culture and tradition, especially Warri Traditional Council or any other higher traditional caucus should do the needful to protect and preserve the office and discourage any conduct that is unbecoming of the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.
 
Deltans and the government of Delta State are very eager and enthusiastic in taking proactive and positive steps to recover the N800 million advance payment without performance from Chief Ayiri Emami and his company, EasyQuest Nig Ltd, so as to re-award the contract for the construction of Shorelines Protection Measures (Phase 1) at Aruoton in Warri South West LGA.

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